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World Venture Partners Overview | |
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Photos of the recent Nicaragua trip | |
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Peter Blomquist's trip report | |
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Observations of the Participants | |
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Steve Forman's Foundation News and Commentary article |
The New Philanthropy on the Coco River
Peter Blomquist, Executive Director, Global Partnerships
The family of pigs kept grunting beneath our little dormitory that was elevated five feet above ground in case of flooding. Next door, through a paper-thin wall, Carlos snored like a freight train. I had never seen such a bright full moon. We were six hours by small boat up the Coco River in northeastern Nicaragua. Tomorrow we would visit the Miskito (indigenous people) village of Siksayari to learn about a new village "bank" providing small loans to community members.
I was with a group of eight people from Seattle and San Francisco. Late last summer, long-term friend Steve Forman suggested that we organize a trip somewhere in Latin America. I suggested Nicaragua as our destination because of its fascinating, intense history over the past thirty years-a period of repression, revolution and nascent democracy.
But this was not to be an ordinary tourist or donor trip. This trip would have three purposes:
We sent invitations to a small number of people we thought might be attracted to a trip featuring travel off the beaten track, the exploration of service overseas, and fun. Soon we had eight people signed up: two senior executives in business, a couple of non-profit executives, a foundation executive and educator, two organizational development consultants, and myself. All were attracted to the idea of a purposeful opportunity to think about how to give back in a global context. On February 2, we all joined in Managua and the trip began.
Our first two days were spent around Managua learning about Nicaragua's recent political and economic history. "Nicaragua is a punished country," commented Maria Hurtado, who had worked in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Sandinista government (early 1980s) but had resigned after three years due to growing concerns about the Sandinista economic model and commitment to democratic process. Maria then created and directed an Office of Microcredit in the administration of Violetta Chamorro from 1990-96.
We also met with Roberto Bendana, who runs his family's coffee business. His family fled Nicaragua when the Sandinistas came to power in 1979, and the family's coffee finca (farm) was confiscated. Most of their land was returned in the 1990s, and Roberto has strong interests in incorporating social and environmental commitments into the running of his coffee business.
Roberto took us to the charming colonial town of Granada, where we had a short boat ride through a magical tableau of small tropical islands on Lake Nicaragua. It was too tempting for three of the group, who stripped down and dove off the boat for a swim in the warm waters.
Our third discussion was with Ernesto Cardenal, priest, poet and Minister of Culture in the Sandinista government. Cardenal and his campesino congregation had embraced social justice ideals in the 1970s and took up arms against the authoritarian Somoza dynasty. Cardenal fled the country, but returned in triumph in July 1979 when the Sandinista revolution succeeded in forcing Somoza from the country. The first casualty in the U.S. supported Contra counter-insurgency occurred six months later.
Cardenal has become skeptical of the current Sandinista leadership. Sadly, he sees little hope for the country's vast numbers of poor people in the current political and economic situation. He told us "it (leadership, progress) must come from the next generation."
At the end of each day, our group met to share impressions and ideas. In our first conversations, we wrestled with how to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the Sandinista government, the United States role in Nicaragua at this time, and how the poor of Nicaragua have fared under the centrist government of 1990s.
The next component of the trip centered on Leon 2000-a microcredit organization working with 3,000 borrowers in the northwestern region of Nicaragua. We spent two days visiting with individual borrowers and with "solidarity groups"-three or four borrowers who support each other in managing their individual loans.
Two Leon borrowers stand out in my memory. The "Tortilla Lady" greeted us with kisses and hugs as we entered her little kitchen where she and several employees produce thousands of tortillas each day. She chattered away about her business as she sold stacks of tortillas to a steady stream of customers. Her enthusiasm and spirit were infectious.
The other visit was quite sobering. A family produces a Kool-Aid like drink packaged in little plastic bags for sale in the neighborhood. They employ two or three people in their modest home producing the packages, and several others selling the drink on the street.
When asked about her children, the mother grew sad and explained that her three-year old daughter has meningitis. She went and picked up the little girl, who did not wake from a fevered sleep during our visit. The girl has stopped walking, and has lost all but six or seven words in her speech. The family does not have enough money for hospital care.
During our Leon days the group began to discuss how we might honor our commitment to support a project or community over the next three years. One night we took turns to share what we were most passionate about in context of "doing good" in the world. On another we began to talk about how to structure our group effort, and how to encourage others to participate on similar type trips.
After Leon, we flew to Waspam, the largest town in the northeast part of Nicaragua. From Waspam, we rode for six hours upriver until we reached the indigenous Miskito village of San Carlos, where we met the pigs and experienced three nights of Carlos' prodigious snoring.
In San Carlos, we met the Alistar Foundation (based in Bellevue), which has a significant operation working with the indigenous people on the Coco River. Alistar-Nicaragua works in biosphere preservation and management, potable water systems, health, education, and now in microcredit. The land, except along the river where villages and some agricultural development has taken place, is largely tropical jungle.
On Day Two on the Coco River, we visited Sisksayari, a village that had been completely wiped out by Hurricane Mitch in 1998. Emergency relief efforts have helped the community rebuild homes on higher ground, and Alistar's largest village bank is located here.
We spent several hours visiting with the borrowers in this village bank. 21 families participate, and loan repayment rates have been good-about 95% on time so far. The borrowers use their loans for establishing or enhancing little businesses operating out of their homes--selling crackers, soap, batteries, towels, and other goods. Others use using loans to make crafts and decorative items for sale up and down the river. The early success of this village bank was obvious in the pride they have in their small businesses.
During our San Carlos evenings, as we enjoyed a couple of hours of light from the generator, our group discussions covered such issues as: the risks as well as opportunities when bringing outside resources into indigenous communities; how credit might affect the traditional life in Miskito villages; and how to marry a commitment to the empowerment of these people with good management practices. We talked about scale, accountability, and the chances of cultural survival for the Miskito. The discussions were intense and stimulating, as the pigs grunted away below us.
It was not all serious. The "fellowship" took on much lighter levels as well, including what became a group mantra from one of the Spanish-challenged among us: "Cuando es el bano?" ("When is the bathroom?")
We returned to Managua for a last night, and had one final group discussion. We made a list of all the ideas generated over the last week on possible involvements, from a Washington/Nicaragua partnership, to providing organizational management training, to financing a new microcredit office in Chichigalpa in the northwest. We are eager to return.
Then the trip was over. The opportunity to talk seriously about engagement in the issues of development in Nicaragua was intensely rewarding on intellectual, emotional and spiritual levels. Learning of Nicaragua's great national struggles over the past fifty years is deeply sobering, but our team concluded on a note of renewal and hope. As Margaret Mead once said, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."